Reducibility of Lumpy iron ores from Messrs Salgaocar E Irmao Ltd., Goa

Abstract

Reducibility characteristics of lumpy iron ores from four Mines of Sallitho, Palo, Surla and Velguem were studied with hydrogen as the reluctant. During the reducibility investigations, optimum conditions for fast reduction were obtained at 800°C and 6 liters per minute flow rate of hydrogen gas. Relative reducibility of lumpy iron ores indicated that ore lumps of Sallitho, Palo, Surla end Velguem poses similar reduction characteristics comparable to that of washed Bolani iron ores of Hindustan Steel Limited. The ores from Surla reduces faster than Sallitho, Pale and Velguem and behaved similar to that of Gurumahisani iron ores. The time for 90 percent reduction increased from 43 minutes to 124 minutes as the size of the ore was increased from -38.1 +25.4mm (-1 1/2 +1inch ). The ores retained their shape during heating and did not disintegrate under reducing conditions. It is recommend on the basis of above investigation that the feed size for blast furnaces be set at -2" + 3/8" size.